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Mental Health Program Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Program Manager Type: Salary, Full-Time, Exempt Compensation: Up to $116k per year * Base Salary ... Experience: 3+ years of mental health experience and 1+ year(s) of management experience (required)

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Mental Health Program Manager information

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$42.5K

$93.6K

$157K

How much do mental health program manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for mental health program manager in the United States is $93,589.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,000.00 and $110,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Mental Health Program Manager vs Mental Health Counselor?

AspectMental Health Program ManagerMental Health Counselor
CredentialsMaster's degree in psychology, social work, or related field; often requires program management experienceMaster's degree in counseling, psychology, or social work; licensure required
Work EnvironmentAdministrative settings, clinics, community programsPrivate practice, clinics, hospitals, community agencies
Employer & IndustryHealthcare organizations, government agencies, nonprofitsHospitals, mental health clinics, private practices
Primary FocusOverseeing mental health programs, managing staff, ensuring complianceProviding direct therapy and counseling services to clients

The main difference is that Mental Health Program Managers focus on overseeing and managing mental health programs, while Mental Health Counselors provide direct client therapy. Both roles require relevant advanced degrees and licensure, but their daily responsibilities and work environments differ significantly.

What does a mental health program manager do?

A mental health program manager works in a mental health clinic, hospital, or another healthcare facility. As a mental health program manager, you oversee all aspects of the program. Your responsibilities include managing responses to patient behavior and providing support to mental health workers. Other duties involve ensuring program progress through consistent care as developed by you and other senior mental health staff. You work collaboratively with staff and use your superior communication skills to ensure the safety of staff and the patients. Privacy is a chief concern, and you work to develop policies to safeguard patient and family confidentiality.

What are some common challenges faced by mental health program managers, and how can they be effectively addressed?

Mental Health Program Managers often encounter challenges such as balancing administrative responsibilities with direct program oversight, addressing limited resources, and ensuring staff wellbeing while meeting client needs. Effective strategies include fostering open communication within the team, prioritizing workload management, and seeking out partnerships or grants to supplement funding. Regular training and support for staff can also help maintain high-quality care and reduce burnout, making the work environment more sustainable and collaborative.

What does a mental health program manager do?

A Mental Health Program Manager oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of mental health services and programs within an organization or community. They are responsible for managing staff, budgets, and resources, as well as ensuring that programs meet the needs of clients and comply with relevant regulations. This role often involves coordinating with other healthcare providers, monitoring program outcomes, and making improvements based on data and feedback. Mental Health Program Managers play a crucial part in expanding access to quality mental health care and promoting positive outcomes for individuals and communities.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a mental health program manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Mental Health Program Manager, you typically need a background in psychology, social work, or a related field, along with program management experience and relevant licensure or certification. Familiarity with case management software, electronic health records (EHRs), and data reporting tools is important for effective program oversight. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills enable you to manage teams and collaborate with stakeholders. These skills ensure the delivery of high-quality mental health services, efficient program operations, and positive outcomes for clients.
What cities are hiring for Mental Health Program Manager jobs? Cities with the most Mental Health Program Manager job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Mental Health Program jobs? The most popular types of Mental Health Program jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Mental Health Program Manager jobs? The top employers for Mental Health Program Manager jobs are:
What states have the most Mental Health Program Manager jobs? States with the most job openings for Mental Health Program Manager jobs include:
Infographic showing various Mental Health Program Manager job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $93,589 per year, or $45 per hour.

MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER III / EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS HOMELESSNESS

County of Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$152K - $237K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 7 days ago


County Of Los Angeles rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 78 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

344th of 844 rated public administrative organizations


Job description

Salary : $152,555.76 - $237,254.88 Annually
Location : Los Angeles County, CA
Job Type: Full time
Job Number: b4742F-EA
Department: MENTAL HEALTH
Opening Date: 09/13/2024
Position/Program Information
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:
OPEN COMPETITIVE- EMERGENCY
EXAM NUMBER:
b4742F-EA
FILING DATES:
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific Time)
This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met and is subject to close without prior notice.
The LA County Board of Supervisors recently , and the County is working to revise and expand our response to help all who are affected. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of addressing issues like housing, mental health, and substance use. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.
The Department of Mental Health is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Mental Health Program Manager III vacancies related to the homelessness crisis.
Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.
Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.
Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Mental Health Program Manager III.
Essential Job Functions
Participates in the development and monitoring of the annual budget for multiple program support operational areas, mental health services in a large geographic area, and Countywide mental health services programs.
Plans, assigns, and directs the work of multiple program support operational areas, a geographic area, or Countywide mental health services programs.
Provides program and administrative direction to subordinate managers and administrative support staff.
Provides or oversees the provision of programmatic and technical guidance to mental health contract agencies; directs the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of contract agency performance.
Supervises the planning, development, and implementation of program support services, service area-based, and Countywide programs, utilizing existing or projected financial resources.
Ensures that mental health services provided meet State and Federal mandated standards and are in compliance comply with Medicare and Medi-Cal rules for reimbursement claiming.
Oversees revenue generation in assigned programs to ensure revenue is maximized.
Assists the Deputy Director or higher-level manager to develop and implement objectives, goals, policies, and procedures in connection with areas of oversight.
Directs the conduct of, and participates in, studies and analyses of program effectiveness and initiates modifications in program policies and procedures as necessary.
Represents the department in regional planning and networking groups such as Service Area Councils, councils of government, and regional health, social, and educational services coalitions.
Serves as a committee member, participant, or representative on a variety of committees, task forces, etc. focused on internal departmental business needs or operations.
Develops and maintains cooperative working relations with Federal, State, and community agencies that correspond to the area of geographic or program responsibility.
Plans, organizes, implements, and manages the Service Area Disaster Plan for both directly operated and contracted programs.
Requirements
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
Option I: A valid, current license to practice clinical psychology, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, or nursing issued by the appropriate State of California licensing agency - AND - two years' of experience, at the level of Mental Health Program Manager II*, providing administrative and technical direction through subordinate supervisors in the operation of a mental health services delivery program comprised of **multidisciplinary treatment and support staff.
Option II: A ***bachelor's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, Nursing, Health Administration, Human Services, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely-related field from an accredited college or university - AND - Three years' experience providing managerial direction through subordinate supervisors at the level of Mental Health Program Manager II*.
Option III: A ***bachelor's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, Nursing, Health Administration, Human Services, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely-related field from an accredited college or university - AND - Five years' experience providing managerial direction through subordinate supervisors at the level of Mental Health Program Manager I****.
NO OUT-OF-CLASS EXPEREIENCE OR VERIFICATION OF EXPERINCE LETTERS (VOEL) WILL BE ACCEPTED. APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE ABOVE REQUIRMENT(S) AT THE TIME OF FILING IN ORDER TO BE APPOINTED TO FILL ANY VACANCIES RELATED TO THIS RECRUITMENT.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
*Experience at the level of Mental Health Program Manager II is defined as directs, through subordinate supervisors, the administration of the mental health services programs of a medium to large-sized clinic, or comparable Service Area-based and organization-wide programs.
**Multidisciplinary treatment staff is defined as a group of mental health care providers that may consist of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, psychiatric social workers, marriage and family therapists, medical doctors, clinical case managers, and/or other mental health care professionals that work together to assess the mental health care needs of the client and develop a treatment plan tailored to the client's identified needs.
***A master's degree in Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, Nursing, Health Administration, Human Services, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely-related field from an accredited college or university will be accepted for one year of the required experience.
****Experience at the level of Mental Health Program Manager I is defined as directs, through subordinate supervisors, the administration of the mental health services programs of a small to medium-sized clinic, comparable Service Area-based and organization-wide programs.
ACCREDITATION:
Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies which are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such asAmerican Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references.
Foreign degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to United States accredited institutions standards by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE). See Employment Information under Accreditation Information.
Note: ***In order to receive credit for any college or university course, or any type of college or university degree, or any certificates, such as Bachelor's or higher, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma or official transcripts from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization with your application at the time of filing or within seven (7) calendar days of filing to Exams@dmh.lacounty.gov
Official Transcript is defined as a transcript that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's Registrar Office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and; therefore, will NOT be accepted and may result in your application being incomplete or rejected.
LICENSE:A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
PHYSICAL CLASS:Physical Class II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
Additional Information
EXAMINATION CONTENT:
Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.
Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%. Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION
Applications must be submitted online only and will be reviewed for interview consideration on an ongoing basis. If you have not been contacted within 60 days and the recruitment remains open or reopens for filing, we encourage you to submit a new application. This will allow you to reaffirm your interest and update any relevant information.
Applications must be filed online by clicking on the green "Apply" button located on the top right corner of the screen.
Applicants must complete and submit their online applications and upload required documents (e.g. Official Transcripts, Resume, etc.) as attachment(s) during application submission, or send by email to exams@dmh.lacounty.gov within 7 calendar days from date of application submission. Indicate the Exam Title on the subject line when sending required documents by email.
Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application will depend on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Minimum Requirements. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, provide the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.
Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add isan@dmh.lacounty.gov as well as noreply@governmentjobs.com and info@governmentjob.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notification from being filtered as span/junk/clutter mail.
You have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.
Plan to submit your online application well in advance before the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on gov
you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
  • Applications may be rejected at any stage of the examination and selection process.
  • FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION or RESCISSION OF APPOINTMENT.
  • Utilizing VERBIAGE from the Class Specification, Minimum Requirements, and/or Special Requirement Information serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. In doing so, your application will be REJECTED as INCOMPLETE.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER LANGUAGE
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT LIBRARIES
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.
FAIR CHANCE EMPLOYER
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.
NO SHARING USER ID AND PASSWORD
All applicants must file their applications online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.
ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support th

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